Transplanting machine



Sept. 9, 1952 A, G, TAPP ETAL 2,609,767

TRANSPLANTING MACHINE Filed July 51, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l a L! ai Q B l@@fffgs w V20 Y @2453? Si 4Z a? 3 mmnmmm'e. 0000,

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`Sept. 9, 1952 A, G, TAPP ETAL 2,609,767

TRANSPLANTING MACHINE Filed July 3l, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1952A. G. TAPP ETAL RA SP ANT NG MACH N Filed July 51, 1947 Patented Sept.9, 1952 asomar `oFFlcE N raAliStANTINGtMACHINEQ Arthur Gritlin TappfSt.Nicholas-at-Wade, and 1 Ernest Thomas James Tapp, Fleet, England,assig'nors to County Commercial Cars Limited, Fleet, England, a Britishcompany 'Application Juiy 31, 1947, serial No. 764.980

, i i In Great Britain Mayf31, 1946KV section; 1, Public Law 69o, Augusts, 194s Patent expires May 31,1966 t 1 claim. (c1. 111-"3) ThisinventionU relates to `agricultural machines for planting crops,particularly for` transplanting seedlings, and of the kind in which theplants are separately deposited in a predetermined spaced relationshipalong a row.` An object of the invention is to provide a simplemechanism which can be readily operated. A

The word plant used throughout the specification is intended to be wideenough to includ root crops. u y Y 1 i The lfollowing is a moredetaileddescription of one `form of plant :transplanting machine according tothis inventiomreference being made to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with the main supportingwheels removed and with parts` of the frame broken away;

Figure 211s a front elevation of'V the machine showing a part oftheforward. guide pulleys in section;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the belts and pulleys of theplant depositing mechanism;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the twoforward pulleys and cooperating belts; and

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 showing a different form of belt.

The main frame of the machine is indicated at I and comprises twolongitudinal members spaced apart side by side and a forwardly-extendingshaft II having a forward connection for attachment to a tractor.Mounted between the two longitudinal members of the frame is an axle I2on which are mounted two land-wheels I3 (see Figure 2). Fixed also onthe axle I2 are two forward pulleys I4 which are spaced apart to providea gap I5 between them. The pulleys are preferably provided with strakesI6 which assist in driving them. 'I'he periphery of each pulley isshaped at I1 so as to support a belt I8. Adjacent faces of the pulleysare dished at I3 so as to accommodate the foliage of plants grippedbetween the belts. As seen from Figure 3 the belts I8, as they extendrearwardly from the pulleys I4, diverge, and each passes around twopulleys disposed one above the other and so mounted on a frame member 2lthat the pulleys for one belt are disposed at an angle to the pulleysfor the other belt. Intermediate pulleys 22 are mounted on other framemembers |23 so as to rotate about upright axes and so as to maintain thebelts edge-to-edge as they pass around the forward pulleys I4. Thesepulleys are shown opposite one another in the drawing,

d but are Apreferably .arranged in staggered relationshipso as to avoidthe possibility of the plant being Vcrushed. when opposite them. Theframev I0 `also carries mechanical means for feeding` plants one by onebetween theconverging part of thebelt I8, which feeding means formsthesubject of application No. 14,456/4Jl. It com prises a circular pulley23 and a non-circular pulley 24, whichis substantially square incross.-` section, which ,pulleys are mounted onza super-` "structure.,215 and are encircled by anendless; belt or chain 26. The forwardcircular pulley" 23. is arranged above Vthe converging portion of.. the`belt IBL The belt has mounted upon it az'- number of pairs of resilientgrippingmembers.V 2'I v in. such a manner that as the` belt passeslan'ouncithe `circular pulley., the gripping members on-y that part ofthe belt` part company. The pairs of` gripping members are so spacedapart .on the belt and the belt so driven that each pair of grippingmembers, in passing around the square pulley 24, is always located on afiat face thereof. This is effected by providing each pair of grippingmembers with a cross-bar 28, the ends of which are arranged to engagewith recesses 23 formed in sprocket wheels 30 fixed to the shaft 3I oneither side of the non-circular pulley. The belt is driven step-by-stepby a reciprocal pawl member 32 which is pivotallymounted at 33 at oneend of an oscillatable lever 34 pivotally mounted at 35. The other end36 of the lever is arranged in the'path of movement of a number ofrollers 31 xed to one of the pulleys I4. A spring 38 is arranged tomaintain the end of the lever-arm 36 against the rollers and the pawl 32against the crossbar 28. The frame of the machine also carries aploughshare 39 which opens up the ground to form a furrow in advance ofthe pulleys I4 and a pair of wheels 40 are provided for closing theearth over the roots of the plants when the plant has been deposited inthe furrow. The frame is provided with seats 42 conveniently placed sothat the operators can insert the plants, foliage uppermost, so that thegripping members with the plants then pass around the noncircular pulleyand then towards the circular pulley 23 and are released as they passaround that pulley just at the time when they are opposite theconverging portion of the belt I8. At this location there is provided aguide member 44 which guides the foliage between the two pulleys I4. Ahopper 43 is conveniently disposed, from which the operators can gatherthe plants for insertion into the gripping members.

entre? Y v n place of the mechanical feeding means, the Y plants may befed by hand between the converging portions of the belt and in order toassist in this operation either one or both the intermediate pulleys 22may be formed as cams whereby the belts may be moved towards and awayfrom one another in the required time relationship so that the operatormay know when to insert the plants. Y

One suitable form of belt is shown in Figure 4 which may be formed fromyreinforced rubber so as to provide two laterally-extendingy projections45 spaced radially apart so that the projec-v tions on one belt arearranged opposite the pro- Vjections on Vthe other and provide resilientgripping members.

land engaging the upper stretches of said belts to converge said beltsinto plant-gripping contact,

and means to rotate said forward pulleys with forward movement of saidframe to move said upper stretches forwardly and said lower stretchesrearwardly; whereby to provide an upper point where the belts convergeto receive a plant, a stretch where the belts are in contact to carrythe plant around the forward pulleys, and

In the alternative arrangement shownv in Figure 5 the belts are shown asbeing tubular in cross-section.

We claim:

In a transplanting machine, a longitudinally extending frame adapted forforward movement over the ground, a pair of forward pulleys mounted faceto face on said frame to rotate about a substantially horizontaltransverse axis, upper and lower pairs of rear pulleys mounted on saidframe with the pulleys of each pair arranged to rotate aboutsubstantially horizontal axes which diverge l as they extendy forwardly,Vthe lowermostedges ofV said forward pulleys and of said lower rearpulleys being arranged adjacent the ground in the same generallyhorizontal plane, the uppermost edges of said forward pulleys and Vofsaid'upper rear pulleys being arranged in the same general plane, a pairof endless belts eachv passing around a forward pulley and a lower rearpulley and an upper rear pulley to provide upper and lower stretches ofbelts, the pulleys of' each pair being spaced apart transversely,

a point near the ground where the belts diverge to release the plant.

ARTHUR GRIFTTNTAPP. ERNEST THOMAS JAMES TAPP.

REFERENCES -CITED The following references are'of record in the le ofthis patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Date France Jan. 2, 1928`

